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Pacers beat Knicks to set up NBA Finals clash with Thunder / Photo: © GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP
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Pacers beat Knicks to set up NBA Finals clash with Thunder
The Indiana Pacers, fueled by 31 points from Pascal Siakam and a 21-point double-double from Tyrese Haliburton, beat the New York Knicks 125-108 on Saturday to reach the NBA Finals for the first time since 2000.
The Pacers used a big third quarter to break open a close game and kept the pressure on in the fourth period to win the best-of-seven Eastern Conference finals four games to two.
They reached the championship series for the second time in franchise history, and will be chasing their first title when the Finals open in Oklahoma City on Thursday.
New York had fended off elimination with a dominant defensive display in game five, but couldn't send the series to a decisive game seven.
Instead the Knicks, who earned their two NBA titles in 1970 and 1973, remain in search of their first trip to the Finals since 1999.
Star forward Siakam was named Most Valuable Player of the Eastern Conference finals, bouncing back after a disappointing outing in game five, when the Knicks used a dominating defensive effort to extend the series.
"After a bad game five, we wanted to bounce back," Siakam said. "And I have 100 percent belief in my teammates. Whenever we're down, we always find a way -- and we did that tonight."
Haliburton shook off early shooting struggles to finish with 21 points and 13 assists as seven Pacers players scored in double figures.
That included 18 off the bench from Obi Toppin and 11 from backup Thomas Bryant as the Pacers reserves out-scored the Knicks reserves 38-20.
"I'm really proud of this group," Haliburton said. "We had a tough showing last game as a group. We wanted to respond.
"We did a great job of that," he added. "I'm just so proud of this group and I don't even have words right now."
OG Anunoby led the Knicks' scoring with 24 points. Karl-Anthony Towns added 22 points and 14 rebounds and Jalen Brunson scored 19 points and handed out seven assists.
But Indiana emerged from a fast-paced first quarter that featured five lead changes with a one-point lead and never trailed again, harrying New York into 18 turnovers that led to 34 Pacers points.
Haliburton, scoreless in the first quarter, warmed up with eight points in the second, including a thunderous dunk after teammate Andrew Nembhard's steal -- one of 10 of New York's first-half turnovers.
Nembhard came up with another steal from Brunson and fed Siakam for a layup to push Indiana's lead to six points before Anunoby drilled a basket in the final second of the first half to cut the Knicks' deficit to 58-54 at the break.
The Pacers opened the third quarter on a 9-0 run and pushed their lead to 15 points, 78-63, on back-to-back three-pointers from Nembhard and Bryant, sending the crowd at Gainbridge Fieldhouse into a frenzy.
The Knicks quickly trimmed the deficit back to seven only for the Pacers to pull away again to take a 92-77 lead into the fourth quarter.
Haliburton, who had just 10 points through the first three quarters, added 11 in the final frame as the Pacers romped home.
M.Joo--SG
